U.S. Pat. No. 3,888,022 entitled "Moving Target Screen" issued to H. I. Pardes, J. R. Schwartz and F. B. Sherburne and assigned to the same assignee as the present invention discloses a system wherein motion picture scenes are projected on a viewing screen to provide trainees with simulated realistic scenes for tactical and marksmanship training.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,888,022 discloses a system wherein each frame of the projected film contains a first portion representing a scene including at least one target area. Each frame of the film also includes a second portion which is substantially opaque to laser radiation except for a transparent region thereof corresponding in location exactly to the location of the selected target area in the first portion of the film frame. The two portions of the film frames are superimposed to present only the target scene to the viewer.
Each weapon operated by the trainee has a low power laser unit attached thereto which can be excited by actuating the weapon trigger, and by automatic electronic controls, thereby firing a laser beam at the target. If the laser beam is properly aimed at the selected target area of the scene on the projection screen, the beam will be directed to reflect onto hit detection means while an improperly aimed laser beam will not reflect onto the hit detection means.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 885,149 entitled Moving Target Screen with Improved Optical Control, filed on Mar. 10, 1978 in the names of F. B. Sherburne, H. I. Pardes and E. Hughes, and assigned to the same assignee as the present invention discloses and claims an improvement to the projection and reflective lens system of U.S. Pat. No. 3,888,022. More specifically, the lens system of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 885,149 includes a dichroic mirror which permits the entire projecting lens to be utilized to project the scene, i.e. light in the visual spectrum to pass directly through the mirror, but which reflects the high frequency laser beam to thereby provide an increase in relative illumination of the projected scene.